How To "Get a Rise" Out of Fallen Arches -- An Easy Exercise

On average, most people take about four to six thousand steps per day. Walking on pavement is not natural to our feet, which are designed to walk on the ground. Walking on the ground, in effect, "massages" our feet, keeping them supple and toned. Incorrect footwear also takes a toll on our feet.

Fallen arches, from an injury, trauma or just getting older, throw the entire body off and can affect your ankles, knees, hips and back. Not very comfortable.

There are 26 bones in each foot, and a complex network of muscles, ligaments, nerves and blood vessels. Our feet are the foundation of our body.

Socrates said, "When our feet hurt, we hurt all over." It is imperative we take care of our feet for an overall sense of health and well being.

Even if you have orthotics, there is a basic exercise that can strengthen the arches, which are muscle and, like any other muscle, they must be strengthened and stretched. This exercise also increases circulation, adds flexibility to the ankle and foot and sends a positive, loving message to your feet that work so hard and are usually so under-appreciated.

How to Exercise Your Feet to Prevent Fallen Arches

• First do one foot and then the other. You can sit in a comfortable chair and just lift your foot enough off the floor so you have room to move it around.
• Point your foot (like ballet)
• Flex it (flexing the foot means to pull the toes and foot back so the ball of your foot bulges)
• Turn foot slowly inward so toes of foot are facing the other foot. While you're doing that scrunch up your toes as much as you can.
• Flex your foot while it's still facing inward
• Keeping your foot flexed, turn foot slowly outward, in the direction of the outside edge of your foot
• Point the toes while still keeping the foot flexed. As you're doing that, slowly move the foot back down to the starting position and point the toes.
• You have now made a complete revolution and are ready to do this again.
• You should feel a stretch/pull in your arch as the muscles are being worked.

Try to do this exercise at least ten times in each sitting. Support your arches so they can support you!

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